OXFORD, Miss. — High school students visited the
University of Mississippi recently for a statewide
science-engineering-mathematics poster competition and
workshops on an upcoming catapult competition.
The Mississippi Junior Academy of Science sponsored the
poster competition, hosted at UM this year for the third
time. Fourteen students in grades 9-12 competed, and $4,700
was awarded by MJAS and the Mississippi Academy of
Sciences. Winners are to participate in the 2008 American
Junior Academy of Science Conference at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in February.
“Students participating in these sessions not only present
their posters, they also have the opportunity to attend
professional scientific conferences and publish their work
in the MAS Scientific Journal,” said Maxine Woolsey,
director of MJAS and educational outreach specialist for
the School of Engineering. “These opportunities give
students visions of where they would like to be in a few
years and provide a purpose to their education.”
Asanka Nanayakkara of Oxford, a junior at the Mississippi
School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, received
the Clyde O. Sheely Award and a $1,000 reimbursement
scholarship toward the MIT competition. Making the
presentation was MAS representative Robert Fritzius, a
judge for the UM competition.
Nanayakkara’s biochemistry poster was titled
“Acetylcholinesterse Inhibitors from Herbs as Treatments
for Alzheimer’s Disease.” He is the son of Dhammika
Nanayakkara and Kumundini Meepagala.
Oxford High School sophomore Thien Che was awarded the
first-place trophy for grades 9-10 and a $500 reimbursement
scholarship toward the MIT competition. Che’s physics
poster was titled”Magnus Effect in Tennis.” His parents
are Tri and Van Che.
Other winners were Natalie Omattage of Cleveland, Xiaotion
Liu of Starkville, La’Mont Sutton of Jackson, Sandesh
Shettar of Ridgeland and Nathan Barnett of Brandon.
Omattage, a senior at MSMS, was presented the Mississippi
Academy of Science Award and a $1,000 scholarship. Her
biology poster was titled “Development of Biosensors for
Detecting Hazardous Chemicals.” She is the daughter of O.P.
and Thishya Perera.
Liu, a senior at MSMS, received the first-place trophy for
grades 11-12 and a $500 scholarship. His chemistry poster
was titled “Catalytic Gasoline Synthesis.” His parents are
Wenxuan Liu and Yujie Zhang.
Sutton, a senior at Murrah High School, was awarded the
second-place trophy for grades 11-12 and a $300
scholarship. His biology poster was titled “Role of Tissue
Transglutaminase Type 2 in Calbindin D28k Interaction with
Ataxin-1.” He is the son of La’Rue and Mary Sutton.
Shettar, a senior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, was
presented the third-place trophy in behavioral science for
grades 11-12 and a $300 scholarship. His poster was titled
“A Demographic Analysis of Smokers Seeking Cessation
Treatment at the ACT Center.” He is the son of Shambhavi
and Shashidhar Shettar.
Barnett, a senior at MSMS, received the third-place trophy
in chemistry for grades 11-12 and a $500 scholarship. His
poster was titled “Preparation of Activated 4-Cyanodithio
Pentanoic Acid and RAFT Polymerization of Free Amine
Containing Polymers.” He is the son of Larry and Sandra
Barnett.
“It was a pleasure judging the posters as the students were
extremely knowledgeable of their research and were very
well prepared for their presentations,” said poster judge
Bob Woolsey, director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources
Institute at UM. “I have judged science fairs and the MJAS
poster sessions in previous years; these are some of the
brightest and most impressive students I have talked with.”
The visiting students also attended two workshops on
engineering a trebuchet, which is a gravity-driven
catapult. The information sessions were in preparation for
the students to participate in the catapult competition
scheduled Feb. 5, 2008 in the Ole Miss Indoor Practice
Facility.
Workshop presenter Ken Sleeper, associate director of MJAS
and project coordinator with MMRI, explained how to design
and construct a trebuchet to meet the specifications
required for the competition.
Speakers for the second workshop were local physician Will
Dabbs, who is also trained in mechanical engineering, and
portrait artist Jason Bouldin of Oxford. Dabbs spoke on the
history of medieval catapults, explained the engineering of
trebuchets and demonstrated trebuchets of various sizes.
Photos and information from the poster session and the
trebuchet workshop will be posted on the MAS Web site,
For more information about MJAS activities and events,
contact Maxine Woolsey, MJAS director, at
mwoolsey@olemiss.edu or mjas@olemiss.edu.